The shopkeeper nodded, taking the money from his hand. If not for the proof of identity from Wu Wang City, she would have doubted whether he was truly their contact. One man buying so many supplies without a caravan or even a single wagon—how could he possibly transport them back alone?
Shigeo sat down at the shop entrance, waiting while the shopkeeper went to purchase the goods.
At that moment, five or six men passed by on the street. The one leading cursed loudly:
"That brat Shigeo should be cut into a thousand pieces! He betrayed Konoha, sided with the Sky Ninja, and now he dares declare war against the entire ninja world—simply arrogant beyond belief!"
"As if that's all! Haven't you heard? Last night he even violated the Daimyō's third princess… I heard it was brutal!" another added.
"Such scum deserves a horrible death!"
"Exactly, exactly…"
Shigeo sat there, stunned. Were they… talking about him?
It seemed to match and not match at the same time. The Konoha and Sky Ninja part did involve him, but the rest? He was the one concerned, yet he had no idea about any of this.
"Hey, brothers, are you talking about Shigeo from the Hyūga clan of Konoha?" He stood up and chased after them.
"Of course, who else?"
"What happened to him?"
"You don't know? This shook the entire ninja world! That bastard declared war against the Five Great Nations!" one man shouted passionately.
Shigeo froze, repeating, "You said… he declared war against the Five Great Nations? Him?"
"Exactly! Hard to believe, right? But it's true! The Daimyō's city is in chaos. Not only did he, under the name of the Sky Ninja, send declarations of war to the Five Great Villages, he also sent them to the Five Great Daimyō. And last night, he disgraced our Daimyō's third princess. Tell me, is that even human?"
"Monster! Worse than a beast!" the others agreed angrily.
Shigeo's mouth twitched, a helpless smile appearing. "Gentlemen, could there be a mistake? Shigeo is just a boy of eight or nine. Doing… that to the Daimyō's daughter? Isn't that a bit too far-fetched?"
"What eight or nine? He's eighteen!"
"We even have his portrait. Look!"
One man pulled out a scroll and unrolled it. The painting showed a burly man with a beard, eyes bulging like copper bells, and a gluttonous maw—hideous beyond compare.
Shigeo pointed at the scroll, exasperated: "This isn't Shigeo! The Hyūga clan always produces handsome people. How could such a monster come from them?"
"Exactly! Which is why he did all those inhuman things. Anyway, the Daimyō's city is a mess now. If you don't believe us, go see for yourself!"
They packed away the scroll, cursed, and left.
Shigeo returned to the shop, gave some quick instructions to the shop boy, then hurried to the Fire Daimyō's city.
The town wasn't far. Along the road, every traveler was talking about "Shigeo."
Inside the city, the severity hit him.
Every street was plastered with wanted posters of him, each showing a different face. People everywhere discussed him.
In the smaller town, the claim was only about him violating the princess. But here, the stories grew worse: kidnapping children, drinking blood, eating flesh, attacking the Five Great Villages, even kissing victims to drain their chakra—crimes that clearly belonged to the demon woman, not him.
Further in, it was even livelier. Outside the Daimyō's palace, they were recruiting soldiers, and on the bulletin board hung a declaration of war.
Shigeo stormed up to it, fuming.
The declaration read:
"I, Shigeo of the Hyūga clan, in the name of the Sky Nation, declare war on the Fire Daimyō. I swear to sever your head, invade your land, defile your daughter, and enslave your people!"
Shigeo slapped a hand over his face.
"Heavens! Who wrote this?" he roared.
Around him, the crowd answered in unison: "Shigeo of the Hyūga clan!"
…
With a space–time shift, Shigeo disguised himself as a merchant and appeared in Konoha.
Here, everything was quiet, as though nothing had happened.
He then went to Kumogakure. There, the streets were boiling with rage. Posters of his supposed war declaration were everywhere—almost identical to the Fire Country's, except directed at the Fourth Raikage. The part about violating a daughter was missing, perhaps because the Raikage had none.
Iwagakure was worse. With old grudges and new hatred, they were eager to tear him apart.
After checking all five villages, Shigeo returned to the small town. Sitting outside the rice shop, he felt drained.
So much for living a quiet life. Who was the bastard behind this smear campaign?
The shopkeeper came back, arms full of supplies, cursing along the way:
"Blind fools! It was Shigeo who saved the Five Villages' shinobi. It was the demon woman who brought disaster, yet they dump it all on him. Outrageous!"
Finally, someone spoke for him. Shigeo stepped forward:
"Shopkeeper, how do you know he's innocent?"
"Of course I know. I have relatives in Wu Wang City. I heard everything. That boy did join the Sky Nation, but it was to help us!"
This shop was one of the Sky Nation's hidden trading posts. Naturally, they defended him. Outsiders without knowledge were easily deceived.
Once the goods were ready, Shigeo looked around to make sure no one was watching, then used space–time transfer to move everything instantly.
The shopkeeper, stunned, dropped her bundles, then slapped her thigh with joy:
"He… he is Shigeo!"
Who else in the Sky Nation could wield such power?
(End of Chapter)
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